PET carboys

Varying opinions on what to use for cleaning/sanitizer 5 gallon PET carbon.

Opinions vary on pretty much every aspect of this hobby…

I have a couple PET jugs I use for big starters. I’ve always cleaned them with PBW and sanitized with star san just like my other equipment.

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Nylon brush, is it too abrasive? Those glass carboys ain’t getting any lighter!

That’s why I stopped using them. That and I broke one and couldn’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened.

I use buckets. They’re cheap and they work fine.

A nylon brush would likely make fine scratches over time. CerIainly the metal part could make deeper ones. I probably wouldn’t worry about it but some people might.

I’ve never had to use anything rougher than a sponge on my buckets so long as you can get your arm in those PET carboys that’s what to use. Glass carboys are for wine not crusty beer krausen

Microfiber cloth and Starsan is as rough as I have ever been. I haven’t a single scratch in mine after 3 years because…

  1. I never let anything dry on my fermenter as I clean them immediately
  2. My kitchen faucet has good pressure and the spray tip is like a laser
  3. I never use anything rougher than my calloused fingerprints as an abrasive.
  4. My fermenters always or full of Wort, Beer, or StarSan.

3 or 4 times I have used scent free Oxiclean to get troubling krausen rings off

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I used it for a while instead of PBW but I started to notice a slight haze on the glass carboys I was using then so I went back to PBW. I always heard it was about the same.

I like glass. Yes it might be a pain to, but I like the results. I clean and santi and put upside down, ready for the next.

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